Characteristics of Sumatran Coffee - Legendary Flavors from Indonesia's Renowned Growing Regions

FrontStreet Coffee - Introduction to Sumatra Island Coffee

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Asia possesses vast landmasses and numerous different coffee varieties in its coffee-growing regions. The most famous include the Indonesian production area—where coffee is known for its distinctive smoky sensation, herbal and spicy notes; as well as Vietnamese coffee beans, which have evident fruit flavors and high body thickness. Vietnam primarily produces Robusta coffee beans, a variety characterized mainly by bitterness and less aromatic profile.

In 1696, the then-Dutch governor of Malabar in India sent a batch of coffee seedlings to the Dutch governor of Batavia (now Jakarta) in Indonesia, marking the first cultivation of coffee in Indonesia. However, this first batch of coffee seedlings was washed away by floods. In 1699, Batavia received another gift, and this time, the coffee seedlings survived successfully and welcomed their first harvest in 1701, beginning Indonesia's coffee journey.

Initially, coffee was cultivated in Jakarta and its surrounding areas. Later, the cultivation areas gradually expanded to central and eastern Java, with Sulawesi Island, Sumatra Island, and Bali Island also beginning to grow coffee. Meanwhile, in eastern Indonesia, Flores Island and Timor Island, which were Portuguese territories at the time, also had coffee cultivation, though the sources of their coffee seedlings were different.

Sumatra Island has three main growing regions: Aceh in the north, the area slightly south of Lake Toba, and the recently emerged islands near Mangkuraja. Perhaps it can also be traced to smaller areas in the following regions: Takengon, Bener Mariah in Aceh Province, Lintong, Sidikalang, Dolok Sanggul, and Seribu Dolok surrounding Lake Toba. Previously, coffee beans sold in this region were collectively called "Sumatra Mandheling," but in reality, there is no place called Mandheling—this name comes from the ethnic name of the local islanders.

Typically, Mandheling has grade distinctions, divided into Grade 1 or Grade 2. The grading method undoubtedly uses cupping quality rather than the generally assumed raw beans themselves. However, I still have doubts about recommending Grade 1, as this grading seems to have become ubiquitous. It is quite strange to divide different varieties into different batches, so most Sumatra coffee beans are mixtures of unknown varieties. Sumatra coffee beans are exported through the port of Medan, but if they remain stagnant at the port for too long before export, the humid and hot climatic factors will be detrimental to the quality of the coffee beans.

Altitude: Aceh 1100-1300m, Lake Toba 1100-1600m, Mangkuraja 1100-1300m

Harvest: September~December

Varieties: Typica (including Bergandal, Sidikalang, Djember), Timtim, Ateng, Onan Gajang

In Brief

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